Grenade.



W. MILLS. GRENADE. APPucATioN {IL SD JvuN'E 15, 19|5.

Patented July 10, 1917.

3 SHEETS-SHEET` l wfmlLLs;

GRENADE.

APPLICATION FILIED JUNE l5, 1915.

Patentd July 1o, 191.7;

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2- PATENT WILLIAM MILLS, or ieaniirnmnaM, ENGLAND; l

GRENADE.

To all whom it may oofncem':

Be it known :that I, WILLIAM MILLS, a subct' of the K in'gdnnV of GreatBritain,l resid y mg at 4`Atlas y'Aluminium 4YVorks, Grove .5Street,"Bir1ni1'1gham, in the county'oiI Warwick, England, engineer,have invented certain 'new Vanxjlil'ser'lll Il nprovelnents in Gre- 1,'a des`, l of which the following is a specificaion. .i f1 I i Thisinventionfcomprises certain improvements in orrelating to grenades, landmines, -al'idrthelike' s The type" of 'grenade to .which the presentinvention,-y relate's" comprises or' involves a flfibl'lovvfbody'adapted to contain, the explosive clia'rge, and ivi-thinor in connection with a cajio'r primary -i nitiondevice is jincr)rpforated"adapted to be red by a'suitable lvstri'ler5-and`f inVrelation to which cap or prifurrow;jviignijty` of. the' cap in op er toretain the fuse foif this "part" thereof in its proper posit'oli; 2

" ,Accord'lng to the present' invention, `the mensffrreceiv-ing andretaining in posi- ;tion'the time fuse,v or the part thereof in the VI'ioinity of thecap or prnnary ignition des f a character whereby the'fuse, or

thereof which is to be .disposed theV cap or primary ignitiondeeassenibled in 'a line or direction cap orpri'mary ignition det anglesto the plane of the the portion. adjacent to f axially Qfith.

vice, or righ c-a' i llhefuse 'Ina'yatfa point near' to its ex-V ftreinity'inthel vicinity of thecap orp'rirnary i ent or divertedlaterally, and the Yineansor receiving and retaining inlposition thefuse 'retain 'in position' th atithebendnd also a lateral portion of thefuse beyond the` bend,v and the fuse may then be bent or divertedthrough a second angle softh'at they remaining part of thfefuse "fisparallel wevfiththepartof the nse -1n the 11 vicinity of the' cap'. 1lsuch an arretagement the lateral-part of the ,-thlisbent'isthereby-received and" ,retained position by the means-providedgfortlnspurpose, and the `ffsegoan nevertheless be assembled in 'a directionaxially of, or at rightnangles to,` theplne of the cap or ,primaryignition Conveniently for the purposeo inven' a time fuse -is incor-Vmay accommodate and' el portion of the fuse,

pecinoation gf Leners raient. Patented VJury 10.11917, Appiano@ mea :une15, 191s. serial N, 34,233. i

tion I "employ va Icap holdernwhich'is segur.

rable from and adaptedto be inserted Wit v'" .the end of a tubularportion `iin. ivhichthe `striker is adapted ,too erate. ,Thiscaholderis4 erforatedaxial y from end to en,

4and within the perforation atthe'innerer trel'nity,- the cap'is'suitably inserted.. .l V'Thev fuse, aftenbeing'fbent to "the--desired form, aantallenbe readily inserted into the. desired positioninrelatlon to the cap by a' purely axial movement, l'Ait 4the face ofthecap holder remote `from VthatV at which the cap occurs, thereis-'advantageonsly lon one' o rVv both sides ofthe perforation atransverse groove .in which the laterally Abent part of the fuse is.adapted tofbe disposed,this bent part ofthe fuse beinglthereby supportedon both 'sides by the *portionsof thevv cap' holder occurring one oneachfiside 'of fthe ,groove l The cap holderV may be rotatably mountedWithin thetubular part inwhich the striker operates, andfa'roi'ind`thegroove @part Vof- 'th'e' cap 'holder' theregrnay" be an annularrecess in whichiiifdesired, `the fuse ,may be diposedfandarranged-to-Le1lrtend around any suitable; par-tl of the cirelnnfer-lence -to thereby providefor a'=variab ,le.i` crease in' thelengthwof-the 4fuse and-consequent increase .of -the time involvedvbetween the" firing of the cap 'and explosion. 'on the charge. Aclosure member-suitably assembled in relation tothe body ofy the grenademay beat -its` innerl surface'adapted tn form '-a stop .co'peratingyiai-ith .the=groovedlface of the cap holder,4 sothatjthelatteriathere-`i by retained iiiposition end gsueh closure member is thereby enabledto also retain the Vfuse in its appropriatefposition. Y order that thisinvention .may beclearly understood and readily c'arriedinto practice,Vreference. mayl be hadto theap ended ,ex. planatory three sheetsV ofdrawingsmupon Whi`ch:- 'l

Fi ure .1` is a sectional elevationo one suite le form of handfgrenadeaccording Y* to :the presentinvention.

Fig. 2i shown in Fig. 1, With closure member removed., f Fig. an i anenlarged scale of the 4cap irl-'Figs l and 2,

nvertedr perspective of'V -jholderjshown s an inverted' plany oft igrenade l' Fig. ill` strates separately the"leap,-

holder', whieh they-img into, orremove ,ase and vdewnator-in the form in11o' be' collectively introduc d Fig. 5 is a sectional elevation of thecap holder shown in Fig. 3, illustrating a mod1- fied'method of securingthe cap therein. Fig. 6 shows a cap holder and part by which it iscarried, and 'illustrates the method of accommodating varying lengthsoftimefuses. Fig. 7.is a part-sectional elevationo a cap holderVillustrating a further modified '1g method of securing the cap therein.

Fig. 8 is'a sectional elevation of 'a further `modification ofthepresent invention.

Fig.l 9 illustrates in sectional elevation a still further modified.embodiment of the f5 .present invention.

In a convenient embodiment of the pres-A ent invention, as shown in thedrawings, a.,

is the. body of thegrenade, within the interior of which 4a housing bissuitably in cor- 2g porated, within which 4housing b a springimpelledstriker c is adapted to operate. The cap which this striker 0 isadaptedto fire is carried by a plug d which fits within the one extremity of-the central tubular housing b, said plug-d being rotatable in ref4lation to the housing, and having, beyond the end of the housing, aU-shaped portion, or two arms, e, e' with 'an intermediate beenassembled, afteruiwhiclithe tive y detonator, and fuse can be collecplaced in position .without any diiculty or danger. The cap. plug isfurnishedwith a shoulder Z or shoulders, which-limit the ex.- tent towhich it can be inserted in the eentral housing; l

After the parts have been'assembled,l as. last described, the closurememberfm'is sembled. This closure member may be in the form of-a plugadapted to be screwed into the aperture in which the cup portion of theinternal memberinvolving the housings b, is' screwed, the samescrew-thread being employed. forthe cup .formation and for the plug,l.the cup formation 4being screwed inwardly. beyond the external surfaceof the body. Alternatively, the cu member, when screwed into place, 'mayave its externally screw-threaded surface projecting outwardly 'beyondthe -external surface l of' the body, and acap may then 4be screwedgroove or lateral opening, in the center of 3| which. groove is theaperture or perforation f leading to the-cap g. The one end of the timefuse la! canbe passed .into this centralperforation, and the fuse canpass laterally between the arms in eithervdirection toward 35 the`aperture or entrance to. the detonator housing z'. Thedetonatorliousing i may be integral withthe central housing b, and atthe end of the. two housings there is a cup formation, within the planeof the edge of which the connecting part of the fuse is adapted to lie.The outer surfaces of the arms e, @,o'f the cap .plug d may be curved toform,- with the outer wall of the'cup, an an- ,45 cess, in rthe base ofwhich there is a perfora- .tion oropening j leading to the detonator Thefuse assing out of the perforation may,.f'instea of passing directlyinto the groove or 4opening in the cap plug, be con 5a tinued` around.this annular recess for any desired part of the circumference. and maythen turn in toward the perforation f leading to the cap g, thecapplugbein rotated to an appropriate position to. provi e for this, asshown at Fig. 6.- Different lengths of time fuses ymay thusbe.accommodated to suit the requirements of.di i`erent periods.. of time lrwhich may be required to elapse between the.- operation .of the strikerand the explo'- sion .of the'grenad'e. By reason ofthe cap without anyscrewing voperation, the' fuse plug "d beingV detachable andreplaceable' nular or substantially annular groove or reupon theprojecting portion of thecup member so that such- 'cap is screwed uponthe same external screw thread as that by `which the cup portion isscrewed into the spherical body of thegrenade. Ina'still further al'ternative arrangement, the closure member m may be assembled byabayonet joint or other'suitable means of connection. The closure memberm is adaptedto engage withthe outer face of thefcap plug and to retainthe latter in position with its shoulder Z against the face ofthe ypartin which it is inserted. V'

If desired, I may provide between the closure members lm and the fuse, awasher or .protecting member, this washer or protecting.

member may be retained from rotation, asA for instance, by providing itwith a projec- 105 tion adapted tocoperate with a notch provided inthe'body of the grenade', and in such washer, in screwing .up the.closure member m, a purely axial pressure is applied tothe fuse, andcap plug, andtleatf. ter are relieved from.- the torsional stress whichthey would otherwise experience by reasonfof their frictional contactwith the inner .surface of the closure member while' the latter is beingscrewed`v up. .The cap plug .d being rigidly retained in position by.the-closure member m constitutes C,an anvil u on or in vrelation towhichfthe c ap 4is struc and fired', b v the hammer. If'de-- 7LA eanibeassembled in relation tothe deto# nator'c and Gap plugd containing thecap 6 5 before eitherof the latter members have sired ,the portions e ofthe cap plug' may 1210-5 be` dispensed with, and the separable capjyplug instead of being retained in position by. the closure 'member`m,may be rigidly retained in position by other means, as, for instance, bya screw or screws engaging 125 with th'e'cap plug'and also withthepartby`\ which s uchplug is carried.. Figs. S and!) hereinafter "more`particularly. referred toillustrate other methods of incorporating theanvil. t 130 the perforation f in the plug,

1,5 therein, as shown at Fig. 5.l

,within cap plu ridge or flange fw,

.both 'of' these method vide) safety ,o

In order to satisfactorily secure the cap l d, and to prevent itsbeingTuShdout o f the latter inthe oper ation ofinserting' the use,1the"cap may, as shown-in lFigs. 1, 2 and 4, be furnished with arms -orextensions n, n, projecting through which proiestions fri may bejben't-outwardly at right anglesto lie within'the groove between the twoarinse, e, of the cap plu Or 'an equivalent'res-ult may be-.obtai'ne heading'or expanding the edge of thetubular portion of the cap over t'e partsof the cap plug at f the lbottoni of y.the transverse lgroove Or at itsinner extremity 4tlie cap plug may `be furnished around` its`circumference, or .atu intervals around' its circumference, 'with anannular Fig. 7, l.or with tongues, ribs, or projections, which, afterthe cap has been 'insel ,maybe contracted around orforc'ed inwtrlly.'upon the head of the cap, to' therebyretainthe latter in itsperforation, thel head being adapted to rest u on the innerjsur-faceofthe cap plug. 4If esired, sof retaining' the cap in. the plug may eadopted in connection with the. one cap.

The present invention permits of the cap,

fuse,jand detonator combined as introduced into,.and removedfrom,aIgrenade in orderto pr'o nuage, and thus the operca holder.

ations f of asseml be'carried out easily'. and safely.

Foralie purpose of releasing the sliding or longitndinallg-moving hammer.or striking member 0 wg ich incorporated withinthe intenall-iou'sing"b, and which hammer is .or .annular Haase' "adapted Q -tliebbdy-otthegrenade, such head orV i 'sind adapted to the s rface of the body a of-a point 'controlladby' a s i'i'itable'spring o, thehammeror striker'maybe furnished with a head to project' out flange may be Vadapted tobe engaged by the 'forked extremity of a lever g which liesv upon thegrenade Such lever is -adapted to be disposed between two elongatedprojections or` flanges 1', r 'upon the outer 'surface of the body, andat near to the. head of the striker such flanges are form' bearings 'fortrunnions or progections t provided one on each side orf 'the lever g.'When the ends s of the tail of the lever. q is retained against theouter surface ofthe body a, the forked'extremity on the lother sideofthe trunnions engages with 4the head or flange h of the striker o, andretains it in its retracted condition. pin'u may lb e 4assedthrough theflanges between which t clever g lies, such pin occuying a position.above or outside of the ever to retain the latter in; this positiokrli.t e

ling'tliev various 4parts can extends .a distance around the latter.-

furnished with slots or grooves .tail of the lever is retained againstthe body la by han or 'by 4the thrownap -the pin'u is removed, the grenae isft wn', and upon the grenade being released-bythe hand or throwingap liance, the lever q'by a pivotal movement, re eases the striker,=wh1ch latteiiires-the cap.

'The lever may, if desired, be,'as shown in Figs.' 8' and 9, applied toa handle with which the grenade is furni'shed. In Fig. 8, thel tubularhousin y or cont'aining the spring-impelled stri er o is containedwithin the handle. The anvil w which corresponds with the cap plug d, inFig. 1, isseparable and removable, but. is rigidly retained fro'm axialdisplacement between the housing y for the striker, and the detonatorhousing e, beingr disposed in a hollow extension of the handle in thearrangement shown in Fig. 8, and within the enlarged extension of thedetonator housing in the arrangement shown in Fig. 9.y The housing y forthe striker constitute-s or is provided with the handle, and suchlhousing of the .striker may be screwed4 into an enlarged 'extension ofvthe housings for the detonator.' which enlarged 'extension is in turnlscrewed into the hollow body of the grenade. 4

Any suitable means may be adopted in the' arrangement 'shown in Figs. 8a1id 9 for. retaining 4the time fuse in appropriate relationship -to thecap, 4s o that it shall not be blown out upon the liring'of the latter.NFor this purpose the 'time 'fuse may be shot lacked--i'vithin orinrelation to 4the cap er anvil m, or intf-rnalV Vpoints or proieetionsmay be provided -upon the Acap or anvil adapted to engage with theexternal surface of vthe time fuse, and. so' reta'iiiztlieV latte-i'from axial movement.. 'As in tlie .case 4previously described, the capd, anvil ai, `fuse e, and "detonator g'can be collectively inserted or'removed when 'the handle is detached.

.In connection with the .present invention I may' employ the inventioncomprised in my prior patent, Soy-1,178,092, but I donot in thisapplication make any` claim to anything claimed in in v saidconcurrentrapplif cation. i vWhat I claim as my invention 'and desire.

to 'secure by Letters 'Patent is ive l. Ina grenade in combination, aspring a percussion cap the grenade, said striker meansl for clampingsaid anvil yagainst a' .normally lined portion of the grenade.

2. In a grenade in combination, a spring impelled striker,

an external member controlling said striker and adapted to be-ref' istleased brvthe hand or throwin yappliance in the act of thioiving the'rena e, said striker bengadapted to explo e a percussion cap forsetting off a time fuse, an anvil for said percussion cap adapted to beassembled in the grenade b a sliding motion only, said anvil surroun ingsaid cap and a portion of the cap being extended outwardly lin relationto the main portion thereof and serving to prevent the extraction of thecap from the anvil, and a member for retaining said anvil in thegrenade.

3. A grenade or the like comprising` in combination a body a, a springimpelled striker c, an externally pivoted lever 4g controlling saidstriker and adapted to be released. by the hand or throwing appliance inthe act of throwing, a chamber for said striker, an anvil in the strikerchamber arraii ed to cooperate with said striker in explo ing a'cap,said anvil being adapted to accommodate a time fuse and being adapted tobe inserted into said chamber by a sliding` motion only, a percussioncap carried by Asaid ani-'ilvand retained from axial move- -mentineither direction in relation thereto,

and -a member having screw threaded relation with a part of 'the grenadeothei'vthan the 'anfvil and adapted to holdthe anvil inplace'.

4. The combination of an anvil adapted to be assembled in an explosivedevice having a spring impelled striker, a percussion ca assembled andretained in said anvil, sai anvil and-cap having communicating openingsadapted to receive the end of a time fuse of the cord type, said anvilbeing adapted to be assembled in the explosive device by a slidingmotion only and having a projection i 40 thereon for limiting the extentof insertion of -the anvil into the explosive device, and

`meansifor clamping saidanvil against a fixed'p01'ti0n0i-the--grenad-5.- =The' eo`4 b'nation of an anvil ada ted tof-be 'assembled-inan'explosive' device av- .ing a spring impelled striker, a percussion@cap assembled and retained in said anyil, said anvil and-- cap havingcommunicating adapted toreceive the end oi a openings a fuse ofthe cordtypevhaving the time fuse,

end vthereof inserted in and retained i-n said anvil,

'a detonator-attachedto the other end f of said fuse, said anvil, anddetonator land cap having communicating openings for receivin the endof'a time fuse of thecord 'against 'a forming a unit, and means forclamping said anvil. against a fixed portion of the grenade.

6. The combination of 4a` vgrenade having a spring impelled striker, ofan anvil'adapt-- ed to be inserted in said grenade by a sliding motiononly, la percussion cap assembled and. retained in s aid anvil, saidanvil type, a etonator assembled and retained on' the other end'of saidfuse, said anvil, cap, fuse, and detonator forming aunit'and saidgrenade having -seats for said anvil and said detonator so arranged that-tlie anvildetonator, and4 fuse can be inserted in the gre. nade as aunit, and means 'for clamping said anvil against a fixed portion of thegrenade.

7 The combination of a grenade having a spring impelled striker, of ananvil adapt ed to be inserted in said grenade by a sliding motion only,'a percussion cap assembled and retained in said anvil, said anvil andcap having communicating openings for receiving the end of a time fuseof thefco'id type, a detonator assembled and retained'on the otherofsaidfuse, said anvil, cap,y

assembled in the vgrenade by a: sliding motion ing said 1, anvil only,and means for 'clam egrenade, said 'fxedportionof t anvil having agroove said clamping means part of said fuse. In' witness whereof Ihave/hereunto set my hand in the presence of two Witnesses,y

WILLIAM Witnessesr ARTHUR H. BROWN,

-C'imnnns Riser.

on the ace, ,towai;d for lthe Vreception l:or

